The embodiments herein relate generally to devices used to dry clothing in a clothes drying machine.
A clothes dryer is a household appliance that is used to remove moisture from a load of clothing and other textiles, generally shortly after they are cleaned in a washing machine. Most dryers consist of a rotating drum called a tumbler through which heated air is circulated to evaporate the moisture from the load. The tumbler is rotated to maintain air space between the articles in the load.
Traditional dryers continuously draw in the cool, dry, ambient air around them and heat it before passing it through a screen with holes into the tumbler. The resulting hot, humid air is usually vented outside to make room for more dry air to continue the drying process. This process is not very efficient and the humidity causes clothes to dry slowly and can create environmental problems when released into the atmosphere. Removing this humidity has evaded a simple solution. The prior art includes: U.S. Patent Application Publication 2011/0061257 A1 filed by Balsillie, U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2011/0120513 A1 by Jerg; U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,946 issued to Prager; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,336,145 issued to Dever.
The Balsillie application involves filling a bag with some material then inserting the bag into the article that the user desires to dry. The Jerg application teaches a dishwasher with a sorption drying system that contains material which is fixed to the dishwasher and expedites drying of dishes by removing moisture from the atmosphere. The Prager device teaches clothes drying with a solar powered dehumidifier. Dever teaches a device for mitigating odor in an article of clothing or footwear. None of Balsillie, Jerg, Prager, or Dever teach a desiccant that is likely to be effective in a clothes dryer.